Should Fort Lyon be used for homeless services? (2 letters)

Gov. John Hickenlooper leaves the Fort Lyon Correctional Facility in Las Animas after a tour in March 2011.

While I understand your concern about how state money is spent, one wonders what the cost is (now and future) for doing nothing about the homeless situation.

The infrastructure portion of the Fort Lyon plan would create jobs while the renovation is being done and the housing and education plan that followed would create jobs for those who carry it out. This is in addition to starting a positive action plan, for those willing to participate, to start getting some of the homeless off the street, into a facility where they can get some basic health care and also get education to turn them into productive workers in the state — who then pay taxes.

Can we afford to not take a serious look at the Fort Lyon plan, especially since we already have the facility? Kudos to the governor’s office for coming up with what looks like a win-win plan for a difficult series of situations.

Alan Davis, Thornton

This letter was published in the Dec. 6 edition.

It’s unfortunate, tight budgets or not, that we have to quibble over $7 million or so for the opportunity to maybe create a wonderful solution for both the homeless and the local community. The problem of homelessness is not going to just go away. This Fort Lyon proposal presents an innovative, win-win opportunity for the homeless, the local community, and the people of Colorado in general. Coloradans have to decide what kind of a society they want.

John D. Sullivan, Denver

This letter was published in the Dec. 6 edition.

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Only if done by a private foundation. No more taxpayer $$$ for this issue.
We are already paying millions for these folks in DenverCounty and the state as well.

Anonymous

So Dentch – are you suggesting that the state (which according to the original article is already on the hook for a $5 million ANNUAL mortgage fee) for the place just “hand it over” to some private foundation? And – how will that foundation be chosen? Do you recommend some religious group which can (and probably would – since they are allowed when owning hospitals to shove their beliefs down the throats of both employees and patients) deny that training to “non-believers”?

On the other hand, if some portion of the homeless can be trained in job skills – and get jobs, which of course is a “gotcha” in this economy (although if the state can find MILLIONS for “corporate welfare”, maybe it could predicate that welfare to providing jobs for the homeless who pass a program like this the state) will benefit: less crime on or by homeless; if the jobs pay a somewhat decent wage – less Medicaid expense; and – at least some tax revenue for at least purchases even if the pay is below the poverty line (which means no income taxes ).

Anonymous

Ft Lyon WAS renovated as a State Prison……but even after that renovation…..it apparently simply COST TOO MUCH to maintain…..even to house CONVICTED CRIMINALS.

What makes ANYONE think that it can be a “cost-effective” location to house……NON-Criminals?????

True….you might be able to get by with less…..”security” personnel…..but everything else you need to house, educate, train the homeless……is going to COST MONEY……and apparently the BUILDINGS themselves…..are a MONEY DRAIN.

Yeah….the State “has” the buildings……buildings that cost a fortune to cool in the summer and heat in the winter (it gets HOT there……and COLD.)

Whatever “renovations” the “homeless” can do…..state prisoners could have done also…..as part of a “work” project like picking up trash along the freeways……or making license plates…..or training service dogs…..or anything else they already do.

They didn’t. Maybe the State didn’t think of that. Maybe they did.

But…..whatever they did or didn’t think about doing…..the State apparently did NOT want to dump anymore money down that money-pit……..and there is little reason to think that it would be anymore cost-effective to house the homeless there.

Anonymous

Question: Exactly WHAT “homeless” are we talking about????

Does…..Bent and Prowers Counties…..really have a “homeless problem” that could make use of a few hundred bed-space facility as envisioned?

Or…..is the……”suggestion”…..to BUS the Denver Homeless……200 miles south-east…..to almost the middle of…..nothing……???????

Wow. Certainly…..we are NOT talking about the idea of…..BUSING…..DENVER’S “homeless problems”……almost to another State……are we?

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